1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to self-contained apparatus for converting rotary motion into lineal motion, and more particularly to devices utilizing unbalanced centrifugal forces in such manner as to result in moving the device along a lineal path.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous attempts have been made to propel a drive apparatus and attached vehicle along a lineal path with the apparatus. Such apparatus often relies upon unbalanced centrifugal forces generated by gyratory action within the apparatus. However, the known devices are uniformly incapable of exerting sufficient lineal force to be useful as a drive apparatus. The interrelationship of their component parts produce forces which tend to cancel out each other, with little or no resultant lineal force being exerted. Also, the prior art devices often are complicated and have excessive internal friction which further reduces their efficiency.
Typical of the prior art approaches to the conversion of rotary motion to lineal motion are the following patents:
______________________________________ Patent No. Date of Issue Inventor ______________________________________ 4,631,971 12/30/86 B. Thornson 3,998,107 12/21/76 C. Cuff 3,968,700 07/13/76 C. Cuff 3,530,617 09/29/70 E. Halvorson et al. 2,009,780 07/30/35 I. Laskowitz 1,953,964 04/10/34 I. Laskowitz 1.377.261 (FR) 573,912 (IT) 74 35395 (FR) 623,375 (BE) 32 20 761 Al (DE) 26 10 646 (DE) ______________________________________
The above-listed patents are believed to be relevant to the present invention because they were adduced by a prior art search made by an independent searcher, and copies of each of the above-listed patents are supplied to the Patent and Trademark Office herewith.